20 of Our Favorite 20-Minute Dinners for Busy Nights Around the Holidays

Shrimp Pesto Pasta

“The shrimp can also be switched out for chicken or salmon. Both go well with pesto and bacon. Just make sure to cook them through fully before adding them to the pasta.” —Danielle Campbell, Recipe Developer

Brown Butter Cacio e Pepe

“Watch your brown butter closely. It can go from perfectly golden to burnt quickly. If you sense that it will burn, quickly but carefully transfer the butter into a heat-proof bowl to stop it from further browning.” —Sharon Lehman, Recipe Developer

Lemon Orzotto with Spinach and Peas

“I really enjoyed this simple and delicious recipe! Yum!! It was just creamy enough with the coconut milk. I’ve been trying to avoid dairy anyway. Thanks for a keeper recipe!” —Gina, Reader

20-Minute One-Pan Beef and Chickpeas

“My favorite way to serve this dish is with steamed basmati or jasmine rice. If you start the rice first, everything will be ready at the same time. A definite win for any weeknight. You can also use a more convenient, even quicker rice—like frozen, bagged, or microwave—if you really want time and effort to be minimized.” —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

Red Lentil Coconut Soup

“Red lentils are a great pantry staple to keep on hand as they’re quicker to cook than other types of lentils and lose their shape when cooked. That means they melt away into various creamy soups, stews, or dips.” —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

Broccoli Pasta

“I often serve this pasta on its own, but if I have a rotisserie chicken or leftover roasted chicken on hand, I’ll toss that in for a dose of protein. My husband and I like it with a hit of fresh lemon juice squeezed on top, but that never makes it past my harshest critics. So I always add it directly to my plate rather than the pot.” —Molly Adams, Recipe Developer

Easy Chickpea Curry

“I also like to substitute the spinach with stemmed and roughly chopped dinosaur kale or Swiss chard. These heartier greens will need about five to seven minutes to cook until tender, so add them a bit earlier than you would fresh spinach. You can also add other frozen vegetables, like carrots, to make the dish more vibrant and hearty.” —Shayma Saadat, Recipe Developer

Spaghetti With Tuna and White Beans

“This dish works great as leftovers. I prefer it at room temperature, so I take it out of the fridge and let it come up to temp for 20 minutes before calling it lunch.” —Stephanie A Ganz, Recipe Developer

Thai-Style Chicken Fried Rice

“For an ultra-quick dinner, go ahead and chop the onion, carrot, and garlic up to a day ahead of time and store it in the fridge. If you’re in a pinch and didn’t have time to cook the rice a day ahead, slightly undercook some white rice. If you have time, spread your just-cooked rice over a few layers of paper towels and place it in the refrigerator to cool and dry out.” —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

Cheesy Hamburger Pasta Skillet

“This recipe calls for a whole 8-ounce block or about two cups of shredded cheddar cheese. High-quality preshredded cheeses, like Tillamook and Cabot, work if you don’t have the energy to grate the block yourself. You can also swap the cheddar cheese for another melty cheese like Monterey Jack or provolone.” —Meghan Splawn, Recipe Developer

Tomato Orzo Soup

"If you’re feeling a little lazy (like me!), you can skip the chopping and pick up a tub of prechopped mirepoix in the refrigerated section of the supermarket or in the frozen vegetable aisle. Toss a jar of minced garlic in oil in your cart, too, and you’ll have all of the vegetable prep out of the way." —Alexandra Shytsman, Recipe Developer

Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner With Feta Sauce

“Another great thing about this recipe is its versatility when it comes to the veggies. Instead of using Broccolini, you could go with broccoli florets, green beans, asparagus, or even zucchini. Grape tomatoes can be used instead of cherry tomatoes, but if you happen to have regular tomatoes lying around, go with those. Just cut them into 1-inch pieces before adding them to the sheet pan.” —Theodora Kaloudis, Recipe Developer

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

“Already have leftover chicken or half a head of cabbage in the fridge? You’ve got your shortcuts right in front of your very eyes without the need to head to the store. Simply use four packed cups of both shredded chicken and shredded cabbage in the recipe.” —Sheela Prakash, Recipe Developer

Sausage White Bean Soup

“Try other sausages and beans: I like this combo, but who says others won’t work? I love the idea of using chorizo and pinto beans or mild Italian sausage and lupini beans. There are plenty of pairings that would work well with this soup.” —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

One-Pan Ravioli With Sausage

“I chose straightforward cheese-filled ravioli for this recipe, but the beauty is that it’s versatile and customizable. If you want to switch up the flavor of the ravioli, go ahead. Both fresh and frozen will work, so choose whatever brand or type you normally buy. Or swap for tortellini.” —Theodora Kaloudis, Recipe Developer

Pumpkin Black Bean Tostadas

“I’ve listed my favorite topping options here, but feel free to use what you love. Greek yogurt or sour cream is delicious, and if you like cheese, try a crumbly cotija or queso fresco. I’m a big fan of heat, so I usually also serve my tostadas with sliced jalapeños and a variety of hot sauces. You can even amp up the protein by adding some cooked chicken, pork, or ground beef. There’s no wrong way to top these tostadas.” —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

10-Minute Thai Basil Beef (Beef Krapow)

“This recipe calls for Thai basil, which has a minty, floral aroma that is very distinctively delicious and iconic to this dish. If you cannot find it at your local Asian supermarket, feel free to use sweet basil since it is more readily available.” —Frank Tiu, Recipe Developer

Tuscan-Style Beans

“If you’re not a huge fan of butter beans, feel free to swap them for another white bean, like cannellini or navy beans. The flavor will be a little different but still delicious.” —Jessica Furniss, Recipe Developer

Copycat Ronto Wraps

“You can simplify this recipe by using store-bought sauce, dressing, and coleslaw mix, if you like. Ranch dressing, sriracha mayo, aioli, or any other zingy and/or creamy condiment could easily take the place of the peppercorn sauce, and you can toss the slaw with your favorite store-bought vinaigrette or coleslaw dressing.” —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

Tortellini Soup